The Great Country Estates of Britain Series: Holkham Hall Revisited 5 of 5

This is the last post in the Holkham Hall Revisited pictorial series, and I think we have saved the best for last. These rooms are simply stunning. We start with the drawing room.

The Drawing Room

This gorgeous state room forms part of the enfilade of the piano nobile. It contains various works of art including eleven paintings and several busts of classical figures in history, such as Pythagorus, Zino, Faustina (Marcus Aurelius'wife) and Carneades (above the doors in the over mantels).

One can see the following in the photo above: On the centre of the east wall (left) there is a portrait of Thomas  Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester, in the robes of the order of Bath, painted by Jonathan Richardson. On the centre of the west wall (right) there is a portrait of the Sir Edward Coke (founder of the family's fortunes) painted by Marcus Geerhaerts the younger. Above the four doors are landscapes by van Bloeman...

The focal point of the room is Pietro da Pietri's Madonna in gloria...

The busts on the chimney-piece are copies of Marcus Aurelius and Caracalla.

On the lower left of the fireplace is Gaspard Poussin's The Storm, Whilst on the right side of the fireplace is Claude Lorraine's Apollo flaying Marsyas...

In enfilade style we move to the South Dining Room, which again contains 11 paintings and busts in each over-mantel. 

The centrepiece is Thomas Gainsborough's portrait of Coke of Norfolk.

Beautiful chairs upholstered en suite to match the walls.

Below: Naked Venus in the style of Titian (left upper wall). Hondecoeter's bird painting (right upper wall). Below each of these is a stormy landscape by Gaspard Poussin.

I am not sure of the painting above, which is different from the one listed in sources. Maybe someone out there knows?

Below: A panorama of the room. The painting on the centre of the wall on the right is Reni's Joseph and Potiphar's Wife (Ca 1730).

The details around the room were simply beautiful. Below: A brass servant's bell. You can see the red marble on the wall, with the original silk brocade trimming.

Below: An ornate pier glass above a gilded marble console.

Next we have The Saloon, popularly thought to be the grandest of the rooms at Holkham. The crimson wall hangings are made from caffoy, a fabric blended from wool, linen and silk.

Above: Peter Paul Reuben's famous depiction of the return of the holy family from Egypt.

Below:Anthony van Dyck's portrait of the Duke of Arenburg.

Above: Close up of the Reubens

Below: Detail of the marble urn on the table below

Below: Detail of the table top

Below: Detail of the carved table legs

Below: Panorama of the saloon

Above: The paintings above each of the fireplaces were commissioned in Rome by Coke when he was on his grand tour. They are Andrea Procaccini's Tarquin raping Lucretia (left) and Giussepi Bartolomeo Chiari's Perseus and Andromeda (right).

Below: Details of the Fireplace below the Chiari.

Above: Central door into Saloon, with large over-mantel containing a bust of Hera/Juno, 2 large torchieres and 2 large Chinese porcelain jars with Little dogs on top...

We finish this series' tour with The Landscape Room...

The room is upholstered in vibrant red damask and contains 22 old masters, 7 of them by Claude Lorraine and 5 by Gaspard Poussin (Nicolas Poussin's brother in law). Claude Lorraine is one of my favourite artists. I love the ancient capricios he painted, the follies, the gardens and the mythological subjects. I was lucky to find a relatively good copy of a Lorraine when I was visiting my mother in Nelson (picture here). It will hang above the sideboard in the formal dining room at WBP (which also has red damask walls).

Apart from Giordano's St Johnthe Baptist Preaching (below), all the rest are landscapes.

Well, that concludes our tour of the gardens and interiors of Hokham Hall. We will be back this weekend with a brief update of what's happening back at WBP.

The Great Country Estates of Britain Series: Holkham Hall Revisited 4 of 5

Here are some more photos from Holkham, of bookcases, libraries and studies...

Above: Vestibule with bookcases

Below: Classical overmantel

Below: Close up of  the bookcases above.

The Classical Library

This was the original library and study of Lord Leicester, created around 1816. Originally he housed many of his books in his bedroom, and stored additional prints in one of the towers. Around 1816 he gathered his collections together and formed a library out of the anteroom to his bedroom. Some of his personalised bound books can be seen below.

Paintings in the classical library...

Detail of column going into the long library...

The Long Library

This was one of the more personal spaces in the hall and is still used by the family. It was designed by William Kent. 

There is a lovely mosaic of a lion (close up below) above the fireplace. To the left of the fireplace is another secret door.

Above and below: Tables of personal photos and object dárt. It was one of the weirder experiences of the tour, because looking around other houses, and Holkham up until this room, one felt like one was in a museum and rather detached from the owners. This room was clearly still inhabited, and it felt more like visiting an open home.

The Great Country Estates of Britain Series: Holkham Hall Revisited 3 of 5

In this post we shall visit some of the hall's grand bedrooms and the north state drawing room. The first room is The Parrot Room. I love this room. It has been the inspiration for the Chatsworth suite, and is named for the painting of the parrots and macaws to the right of the bed.

Above: The bed

Below: The painting from which the room takes its name

The room is located in the strangers wing, so named because it is where guests stay, to this day. It is decorated in rich red and gold velvet damask on both the walls and the canopied bed.

Above: Detail of the bed and walls

Below: The apex of the canopy as viewed when lying in bed

Below: Gilt electric candle sconces

The parrot room has an adjoining bathroom, which is not decorated en suite, but with a variety of tapestries and Edwardian fittings...

Above: The bath with Edwardian 'telephone' tap fittings, a retro-plumbed wash stand and a commode.

Below: Detail from one of the tapestries - a man picking apples for his beloved.

The next bedroom is the Green State Bedroom, which was designed by William Kent, right down to the furniture.

Above: A panorama of the room

Below: The full tester bed with the OTT Earl's coronets on the canopy.

The room is lined with baroque tapestries

The painting above the fire (below), Gavin Hamilton's Jupiter caressing Juno, was considered too lewd to be on display for Queen Mary's visit, so it is reported that they hid it in the attic.

I can not reacall the name of this state bedroom (perhaps someone out there may know). 

Above and Below: The bed, with it's gilt three feather detail.

Below: My favourite thing about this room - the hidden door...

The North State Sitting Room

Below: details of the four Brussels tapestries in the North State sitting room. They depict the sun's annual progress through the zodiac. The were bought by Lady Leicester in 1759 for 134GBP. Today they would be irreplaceable.